Beijing celebrates annual Lantern Festival(12 images)

Thousands celebrate the Lantern Festival in Beijing with cultural performances and food on Tuesday. Beijing's municipal government is promoting the country's traditional festival dances and performances as China's millennials become less interested in learning or carrying on the traditions.

The Lantern Festival is traditionally held on the last day of the Spring Festival, which celebrates the Chinese New Year. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

The festival also aligns with the first full moon of the Chinese calendar, which signifies the beginning of springtime. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

Lion dances are performed at important events in China to ward off evil and offer good luck to those in attendance. There are variations in the performance of the dance between northern and southern China. Northern lion dances are more like martial arts and southern dances incorporate feline behavior and comedy. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

Emperor Han Mingdi founded the tradition of the Lantern Festival during his reign between 58 and 75 A.D. after being inspired by the Buddhist tradition of lighting lanterns during the first lunar month. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

The Qinhuai International Lantern Festival is the largest Lantern Festival in China, held at the Confuscious Temple in Qinhuai Scenic Zone, Nanjing. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

The Lantern Festival is also known as Chinese Valentine's Day. In early Chinese history it was the only day single people could go freely into the night carrying lanterns to try to find love. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

Lanterns traditionally will have riddles pasted onto them for passersby to solve. If someone thinks they know the answer, they'll ask the lantern owner and may receive a small prize if they're correct. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

This new year China is ringing in the Year of the Pig. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

Traditionally, the animal of the year that you are born gives insight into one's personality traits and lucky symbols. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

Those born in the Year of the Pig are said to be clever and mischievous, with famous pigs including Carrie Underwood, Ronald Reagan and Hillary Clinton. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo